Verso Energy enters agreement with Finnish city for eSAF site

French energy supplier Verso Energy announced that it has signed an agreement with Finnish city of Oulu to build a hydrogen processing plant with a capacity to produce 80,000 tonnes of e-SAF.

The company plans to invest nearly €1.4bn ($1.5bn) in the project. The company said that the agreement with the city will help advance the zoning of the Port of Oulu’s green transition industrial area, aligning the requirements and goals of both the Verso Energy and the city.

“Finland is a very attractive country for e-SAF production, and the Oulu site has all the qualities to be a very competitive site at the European level,” said Antoine Huard, CEO of Verso Energy. “Successful collaboration with the City and Port of Oulu has been key to the project’s development, showcasing Finland’s potential to combine job creation, industrial growth, and sustainability.”

Verso is currently working on several hydrogen and synthetic fuel plants in pipeline in France, but the plant being planned for Oulu, is among the company’s first projects abroad.

Currently, there are no SAF production plants in Finland.

“I am glad that Verso’s project has progressed so smoothly. This indicates that our city has a valuable role to play in the green transition. I want to thank our experts for their efforts so far and Business Finland for facilitating the contact with Verso Energy,” said Ari Alatossava, Mayor of Oulu.

The co agreement will remain in effect until the end of 2026. During the time, both parties aim to work towards implementation, defining threshold investments and the division of responsibilities.